Expect a few Wild Guests!
AWARD WINNER (3X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
San Diego Zoo & Safari Park in Escondido, CA, offers a wonderfully unique setting for your wedding day. The dedicated events team invites you to plan the celebration of your dreams amidst lush foliage, rolling hills, and exotic creatures. You can exchange vows and dance the night away in a truly unforgettable venue that will elevate your wedding into something extraordinary.
You can choose from a variety of ceremony and reception sites for your big day, hosting anything from 50-180 loved ones at your location of choice. You can say “I do” by the picturesque lagoon. Tall trees and exotic plants fan out by the water’s edge, creating an atmosphere of secluded romance.
The Kijamii Overlook is also a beautiful ceremony and reception option, featuring panoramic views of the park. Reminiscent of a South African lodge with exposed rafters and a baobab wood bar, you can enjoy the immersive experience of the savanna with roaming giraffes, gazelles, and rhinoceros.
The award-winning team at San Diego Zoo & Safari Park wants to ensure an exceptional experience for your wedding day. Their event coordinator will be on hand to assist you throughout the planning process, crafting a bespoke menu and a detailed timeline for a seamless flow. Before your wedding day, you and your partner can attend a menu tasting to sample the delicious offerings by the catering team. You can choose some of your other vendors from the Zoo’s list of recommendations, selected for their high quality and professionalism. For your convenience, you will be provided with garden chairs for your ceremony, tables and chairs, linens, and china. You can even experience a close-up encounter with one of the zoo’s dynamic animals as an extra special touch!
Contact the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park to learn more about this one-of-a-kind venue.
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Pricing details
Couples usually spend $25,000
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Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Ceremony Types
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Guest Capacity
Up to 200
Settings
Barn
Farm & Ranch
Garden
Historic Venue
Mountain
Park
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Food & Catering
Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Availability
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.093 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has received glowing reviews from multiple couples who got married there. The venue offers stunning locations such as the Lagoon and Mombasa Pavilion, the Kijamii Overlook, and the Harusi Lawn/Tiger Long House, with captivating views and the opportunity for unique wildlife encounters. Reviewers praised the exceptional service provided by coordinators like Nikki, Tommy, and Emily, who ensured seamless planning and execution of weddings. Guests enjoyed delicious food, engaging wildlife encounters, and the professionalism of the staff, making it a highly recommended and magical venue for weddings.Review photos
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5.0
4/17/2025
Extremely helpful with everything. Our wedding was so fun and unique. Our family and friends keep talking about what an amazing and joyous experience it was. Even our pastor mentioned it during one of his sermons lol. We had the cheetah there for the ceremony and the tigers for the reception. We got to see the baby tiger have zoomies and play with mom. The animal encounters were so much fun and people learned a lot about each one. Delanie was so helpful and great at coordinating everything!!
Julia C
5.0
4/09/2025
We cannot say enough good things about having our wedding at the San Diego Safari Park! Not only is the Mombasa Pavilion and Lagoon Overlook absolutely stunning, but it also felt so meaningful to know our wedding dollars went toward wildlife preservation. It truly felt like a celebration with a purpose.
The food was fantastic—our guests raved about the variety and quality—and every detail was beautifully handled. While we did experience a coordinator change early on, our new coordinator, Emily, stepped in seamlessly and made everything feel stress-free. We owe so much of the day’s perfection to her calm, organized, and caring presence. She truly went above and beyond.
From the check-in team to the bartender to the servers, every single staff member we encountered was warm, professional, and attentive. They helped create such a welcoming atmosphere for our guests and made sure everything flowed smoothly.
If you’ve made it this far in your venue search—stop. Book this place. You won’t find a more beautiful, unique, and budget-friendly venue with such an incredible team behind it. We’re so grateful we chose the Safari Park and will cherish our memories there forever.
Any questions?
Sophie M
5.0
4/08/2025
My husband and I got married on Friday, February 21st, at the San Diego Safari Park. When we were looking for a venue, we wanted somewhere unique and personal. As avid wildlife lovers and huge fans of the SDZWA, we were pleasantly surprised to learn via The Knot that you could get married at the Safari Park. From the get-go, the entire SDZWA staff has been absolutely amazing. From our first call and tour with Mageda back in January of 2024 to our final goodbye with Nikki at the end of our reception, it has been an absolute dream come true.
I have multiple friends getting married in 2025, and after hearing all of their worries and stressors, I was very shocked. The SDZWA makes wedding planning extremely easy and fun! After our initial tour and securing a wedding date, we were put in contact with Nikki French, our onsite coordinator. She helped with everything from providing us a list of preferred vendors to picking the folds of the napkins. Nikki was extremely helpful and kind during the planning process, where she answered about a million questions from my husband and me. She was very easy to work with and made sure that we had everything we needed (and then some!). Nikki was very easy to contact before and during the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, she constantly checked in, got us water, and helped us find locations for photos. Overall, she made life so much easier on the day of the wedding! If you decide to get married at the San Diego Safari Park, I hope you have the chance to work with Nikki!
My husband and I chose to have our ceremony and reception at the Lagoon and Mombasa Pavilion. It was such a stunning and unique spot, photos do not do it justice! The ceremony was so intimate yet grand with the beautiful backdrop. The lagoon at golden hour, combined with the striking birds that call it home, made our ceremony even more beautiful than I could ever imagine. Family members expressed some concern about park guests being around during the ceremony, but with the SDZWA’s protocol, you would have thought we were the only people in the park! The reception site was just as beautiful. Our guests were huge fans of the boat and the lagoon backdrop. It felt like we had been whisked away to some tropical destination. And that is just the ceremony and reception site. I could write a whole other review on the amazing food and drinks we had! My only complaint with the wedding was not eating more because I was too busy having fun! We chose to go with the Food Stations (Pan-Asian, Comfort, and the Taco Bar), and it was some of the best food we’ve had! No dry wedding chicken and overcooked steak here!
Other than being surrounded by the people I love with the person I love the most, eating delicious food and drink, the Animal Encounter has to be my favorite part of the night! The Wildlife Care Specialists were extremely knowledgeable and fun. Our surprise guests made the night, and people have not stopped talking about how awesome it was to meet some animal ambassadors while enjoying cocktail hour! If you do decide to get married at the Safari Park, I HIGHLY recommend adding it on. Not only is it a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet some of these amazing creatures, but you will also get some of the coolest wedding pictures ever!
I wish we could get married here every weekend! It was truly the best night of our lives.
Carson C
5.0
4/08/2025
My husband and I got married at the Safari Park in April 2025. We had truly the best experience imaginable-- the venue, the food, and the logistics were all exceptional. Tommy was our Safari Park coordinator and he was absolutely the most incredible coordinator for us. For the year leading up to the wedding he was communicative, forward thinking, and worked tirelessly to minimize any issues he could foresee. We were fairly budget conscious when executing our wedding, and he was very amicable to that, helping us identify areas where we could save money, and identifying elements that would cause more stress to DIY versus the cost of hiring a vendor.
We got married at the Kijamii Overlook, and the venue itself was stunning. Overlooking the savannah, us and our guests thoroughly enjoyed the outstanding views of the giraffes, rhinos, wildebeests, and birds around. The building was perfect as it was quite open allowing for a breeze over the vista of the Savannah. The team that hosted the wildlife encounter went above and beyond-- we saw and got to interact with, some incredible animals-- some of which we have never seen. The Safari Park also allowed us to visit with Fernando, the Tamandua (lesser anteater), which was our FAVORITE animal we had been begging to see.
The food stations were outstanding. We heard from countless guests that they had low expectations (because who thinks highly of concession food?); however, everyone was blown away at the food. We opted for the carving, Italian, and comfort food stations, all of which were outstanding.
On the drive home from the venue, my husband and I spent time in awestruck of how perfect the venue and the people were to make our day so special. Although expensive for us, it was worth absolutely every penny and we would do it again in a heartbeat. We are actively looking for another reason to host an event at the Safari Park because it was such a fantastic night.
Tara S
5.0
2/28/2025
It was the most magical experience. It was so beautiful, everything was so well taken care of by our zoo coordinator, Alannah Dye! She was very detail-oriented and ensured we had the magical day we had hoped for. We went with the zoo's reccommendations for vendors which made it an even more seamless exprience. The ceremony started as the zoo was closing so it really felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. It was evident that they handle events like this all the time and I cannot recommend a wedding at the zoo enough!
Maxwell A
5.0
2/08/2025
Alannah Dye was our wedding coordinator with the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and she did an incredible job with coordinating our details in the months and days leading up to the wedding. Working with the Safari Park was a great experience. They were accommodating on most items. The food was delicious (we chose the food stations), the venue was incredible (Kijamii Overlook in November), and the staff were very professional! On the day of the wedding, Alannah took care of all the details necessary for a successful wedding. Our ceremony and reception had zero issues. Our guests were stunned by the venue and the service. It was an unforgettable night and I would definitely recommend this venue. There were a few items that the Safari Park was not flexible on, but these were minor annoyances more than "dealbreakers" and I still consider them a 5/5 for their professionalism and quality.
Samantha C
5.0
1/15/2025
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is the absolute best place for a wedding! I looked at probably a hundred venues online, but, there was just no other venue that could top it. The zoo has multiple gorgeous venues to choose from. We chose the Harusi Lawn and the Sambutan Longhouse combo and it was completely magical! The staff are also the most wonderful people to work with!
We fell in love with the Sambutan Longhouse for the reception. We loved the high ceilings, the intimate feel of the space, and the jungle vibe. Also, Tigers our nocturnal so we loved how there would still be animals out at nighttime. Two of the tigers laid on the heated rock next the glass the whole night! One of our child guests faced timed with her friend next to the tigers. We also picked this venue combo, because, my husband and I like when weddings have separate locations for the ceremony and reception; we think it adds variety and excitement. My husband notes that there was so much energy after cocktail hour when guests were boarding the shuttle to dinner.
Harusi Lawn is also extremely beautiful as a ceremony and cocktail hour space. When I first saw Harusi on the tour I thought it was pretty, but, on the day of the wedding it was spectacular! With just a couple of flowers and the wedding chairs in position it looked straight out of Twilight. The trees there are gorgeous and sunset falls beautifully on the space. If you love the giraffes and rhinos at Kajami (another venue at the zoo), you can still see them from Harusi! One of our guests said that she knows she should have been paying more attention to our vows, but, there were giraffes behind us. Absolutely majestic!!
Of course the zoo is a magical venue, and what puts it even more over the top is the staff. We were given Emily as our coordinator and I cannot say enough things about her. Oh my gosh I wrote her so many emails throughout the process double checking if we were allowed certain things, because, I wanted to make sure we respected the space and the animals. She was so responsive, answered in depth, and never made me feel like I was asking too many questions even though I totally was. Lol. She is also just so incredibly sweet and extremely professional. I felt like she had our back the whole way and was really focused on our happiness and on making sure the wedding flowed as smooth as possible. If you get Emily as your coordinator, you are really lucky! She is the best! All the staff is incredible. They worked with us closely and made sure we were 100% satisfied. They will take real good care of you!
The animal encounter during cocktail hour is an absolute must. We had the owl, porcupine (the star of the show), and the cheetah. The animal care team leading the encounter were knowledgable, and engaging; our guests loved learning about the animals. Another nice thing about zoo is how much the zoo handles the food, drinks, chairs, and tables. A lot of reviews mention how yummy the food was, and that was one of the biggest compliments we got from our guests as well. Literally all my guests raved about the food!! The music has a max volume for the care of the animals, but, it was definitely plenty loud and was the perfect volume for a crazy dance floor. Oh and pro-tip, “A Lion Sleeps Tonight” is the perfect song to end on. All my guests went “awe” when it came on.
If you want to get married at a fun, unique, and magical venue, there is nothing better than the Safari Park!!!
Tiffany B
5.0
12/14/2024
We absolutely LOVED having our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Not only did they offer such an amazing wedding package but the different venues they have are beautiful! We knew this was the perfect wedding venue for us as the money goes directly back to conservation. Us being animal lovers and my dream to help with animal conservation this was absolutely perfect! The entire process of booking with the Zoo was so easy! Emily was our coordinator for the zoo and she was absolutely Amazing! She made everything so easy for us and explained everything. She answered all my many questions and made our wedding perfect. She was able to help us figure out special requests we wanted and was SO fun to work with. Her and our wedding planner Courtney from Breezy Day made the day flow so seamlessly that everything was on time and stress free. She and Courtney took care of all our guests and were so sweet. Emily understands the rush of a wedding day and fully cares for everyone and the bride and groom. She even had a plate of food waiting for us after the ceremony which was SO amazing so we could get fuel for the reception!
The zoo and the venue are so organized, from the coordination of the day to the menu, food, vendors, plating décor, signage, and attention to detail. We were truly impressed with how much coordination was happening on the day of the wedding and how much the staff helped in every way. Our day went perfectly, and we can’t thank the staff enough! Hands down the staff at the zoo is INCREDIBLE!! Emily was on top of everything and such a joy to work with! She is so kind, sweet, and understanding! Tommy was also such a joy to work with on our wedding day! He helped with our first look and was so kind! These two are a power team!
We highly recommend the animal encounter to anyone looking to book this venue as it was such an unforgettable experience for us and all our guests! We still have people complimenting that our wedding was one of the best weddings they have ever been to, and the animal encounter was such a blast for them. We also recommend the venue of the Harusi Lawn/Tiger Long House. It was such a beautiful ceremony location where our guest got to see the animals in the background. Our reception was so fun, and everyone loved that the tiger was hanging out with us all night! We just want to thank the staff for making our day so incredible!!
Kolby V
5.0
11/26/2024
From the beginning we knew we wanted our wedding to be at a nonprofit. We picked the San Diego Zoo Safari Park not only for how gorgeous the location is or the amazing packages that come with but because of the impact the San Diego Zoo has for animals. They are known for their care for animals and we knew our money would go towards saving wildlife. Our experience with the zoo started with Magdalena back in February of 2023. She guided us through every location and gave us very detailed descriptions of how the day would look for all of them. We decided on the Lagoon Overlook & Mombasa Pavilion since both the ceremony and reception were right next to eachother making it easy for all of our guests. After setting our date, we got in contact with our coordinator for the venue which was Emily. Emily made every process easy and gave us so much insight on how our day will flow. She worked with our wedding coordinator with a breeze. Emily ensured all of our vendors were set for the big day. Giving detailed schedules and personally emailing every vendor! When the wedding came on October 19, 2024, Emily was on site and ready to go. She was so supportive through out our day and kept everything afloat along with our wedding coordinator. They had signage to make sure everyone knew where to go and had staff onsite to help as well. Your guest also get a ticket for the day of to enjoy the parks before your wedding! Emily was absolutely fantastic and I recommend her to anyone who is looking to get married at any of their locations. She was kind, supportive, and so loving on our big day and even check in on us the day after. It was such a beautiful day and I wish I could relive it over and over again. Thank you San Diego Zoo and Emily for such an amazing experience! :) <3
Christina Q
5.0
11/26/2024
Tommy the GOAT. Well Tommy isn’t an actual goat at the zoo.. just the most amazing venue coordinator out there. Our wedding was perfect! We had a different venue Cooridnator from the start but they resigned about a month and a half before our wedding and Tommy jumped in flawlessly and made our day so special. The venue itself is so unique and rememberable. All our guest praised the experience. From their time at the park before the wedding, to the shuttle ride, food and overall beauty of the environment. But if you can request Tommy to be your venue coordinator.. you’re set. Don’t worry about a thing. He’ll make sure your day is perfect plus add some humor and fun. 10/10 recommend this venue plus Tommy.
Dinah C
5.0
11/19/2024
I could not have never imagined a more beautiful wedding day. The staff made it completely seamless and the views were something out of a fairytale! They are so well organized with providing you with an event coordinator (Alannah was ours and she was absolutely the kindest and so communicative), menu selections, multiple options for bar service, and provide you with an amazing list of vendors. We got married a the Kijamii Overlook and it was so beautiful. All of our guests kept saying it was the best wedding they have ever been too, one of the best compliments you could ever get on your wedding day. The animal encounters are a must have! We didn't tell our guests and the surprised looks on their faces were INCREDIBLE. Also, the food was AMAZING! I am so used to wedding food being dry or cold but this food was something out of a high end restaurant. This venue has event throwing dialed in and they work amazingly with all the other vendors. I often now day dream about my wedding day and its largely due to this venue.
Chelsea K
5.0
11/12/2024
My husband and I got married at the Safari Park back in June and the wedding was phenomenal! They are so well organized it would be genuinely hard not to have a fantastic wedding there! Our coordinator Alyssa was always so on top of everything and never minded all of the questions we had for her as well as having tons of great recommendations for outside vendors. The food was delicious (we opted for the plated meals and they were served so promptly!), the views could not be beaten, and on top of getting an amazing wedding, you're also contributing to their animal conservation efforts! That alone made us feel great about having an awesome wedding AND supporting a wonderful cause. Not to mention that our guests LOVED it! We are still hearing from them that it was the coolest wedding they've ever been to, but we've met friends of friends who will get excited when they hear we're "that cool zoo wedding so-and-so went to!" To top it all off, the day passes to the park, and the Animal Encounter during cocktail hour felt like really awesome party favors to guests instead of something that may just get thrown out eventually. All in all, if you're considering having your wedding at the Safari Park, I'm telling you to go for it!
Kiyaan P
5.0
8/30/2024
An absolutely phenomenal venue. The zoo staff were super easy to work with (shoutout Tommy) they were flexible on some of our more unorthodox requests (having a literal sword dance) and matched our vision perfectly.
Some other highlights:
The food was magnificent!
The longhouse ambiance was the perfect mix of otherworldly and magical
The tigers made the show.
Our guests also really enjoyed the park during the day. All in all a perfect experience with the venue, we will be back for an anniversary party in a few years!
Elizabeth S
5.0
7/25/2024
We found the San Diego Zoo Safari Park after joking about getting married at the zoo! The costs are the same as any other all inclusive venue, but the experience is a million times better. The money goes back to helping the animals, the staff is EXTREMELY nice and helpful, and our guests thought the entire event was amazing and one of the funnest weddings they had. Magda who we spoke with first was so helpful, and Tommy our coordinator was an absolute gem to work with. For food we did the Comfort Station, Vegan Station, and Taco Station, and our guests thought the food was AMAZING! The food at the tasting was more of their fancy stuff which respectfully wasn't that good, but the basics were apparently amazing which I was honestly shocked by since honestly most wedding food these days is pretty bad. I say apparently because I ate about one bite the entire night - but so many people said how good the food was!!! We were blessed with five animals in a good enough mood to grace us at the wedding too!! Seriously, I don't know why anyone would choose another venue with similar costs/ scenery. At the Kajami Overlook you feel completely outside, free, open, and the photos came out beautiful as it looks like you're chilling in the mountains. The only thing I would have changed is inviting less people since weddings really do show you who is worth keeping in your life and speaking to 150 people in a night is insanely stressful. That said, the zoo handled that many people beautifully and so many guests said it was the funnest and coolest wedding they had been to! Thank you Safari Park!! Can't wait to keep visiting with our new annual passes (part of the package!!) <3
Jennifer v
5.0
7/07/2024
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park was the perfect place to host our wedding. Tommy, our coordinator and the zoo staff went above and beyond to make our day special. We chose Kijamii Overlook because we had older guests, we didn’t want them to have to move from the ceremony to the reception site. Kijamii Overlook was perfect because the ceremony and reception were at the same open-air site overlooking the safari with giraffes and rhinos. The kids loved it! We added on the Wild Animal Encounter, where we had birds, a porcupine and sloth visit us. We had guests sitting around us entranced by the animals. It was a big treat for everyone. Other hits for folks was the charcuterie board at the cocktail hour and an ice cream bar at the end of the night. The Safari Park and chef were able to accommodate all our guests dietary restrictions for vegan and gluten-free options. They also helped our ADA guests get right up to the ceremony site. Tommy coordinated everything without a hitch on the big day. He even tied the perfect windsor knot when we needed help. He worked seamlessly with our team of vendors to make our wedding better than we’d dreamed. Tommy even helped us get up to the Old World Gardens for our photos, the bride’s favorite spot in the park. Many of our guests said it was “the best wedding ever.” We highly recommend the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for your wedding or special event.
Katherine W
5.0
6/12/2024
Our experience with the San Diego Zoo & Safari park was stellar from start to finish! Our wedding coordinator, Delaney, helped us with any question we could think of! She made the process sooo easy and all we had to do was lean back and enjoy our day! Our guests RAVED about how friendly and helpful all of the staff were! My photographer and videographer loved working with Delaney as well. I would recommend that everyone who is thinking of having a unique and beautiful wedding considers the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park!
Amanda G
5.0
6/03/2024
Where do I even begin? I could honestly cry while writing this--having our wedding at the Safari Park meant so much to me and was seriously a dream come true. As soon as I found out the Safari Park was a wedding venue, I absolutely knew we must get married here, no venue could ever compare! Our wedding here did not disappoint us in any way. This is hands down the most wonderful venue, run by the most caring and incredible, hospitable workers. Having animals part of our wedding was absolutely magical in every way. It was unique, fun, beautiful, and breathtaking.
Now, first I will say our experience booking the venue was very efficient. We got a tour by Magda, which allowed us to seal the deal and book the exact day we wanted! We were super happy to later on attend the menu tasting where we got to meet our lovely Venue Coordinator, Delanie, and see her in person. This not only allowed us to see how beautifully the tables would be decorated, but also get a taste for the food they would serve at the wedding and ask lots of questions.
Throughout the year leading up to our wedding, I sent numerous emails back and forth with Delanie, and she always responded in a timely manner. She has impeccable attention to detail, and gives wonderful explanations and information. I had so much fun planning this wedding, but also of course, so much stress came along with it. With Delanie's help and kindness, she always put my mind at ease. It was Delanie who ultimately put together the event timeline, which was SO incredibly helpful for my planning with other vendors, and who helped me every step of the way whenever questions came up. She was always kind, and I am so sad that our time of working together has come to an end. She is truly a gem and so very talented at coordination, I wish we could be friends in real life!
We got married at the breathtaking Kijamii Overlook location, and our guests could not believe the beautiful landscaping and views from the site. They were actually jaw dropping. And to top it all off, during our ceremony, we had the most serendipitous bout of several giraffes galloping behind us. For a moment, our whole audience was awestruck. It was truly an incredible experience and brought everyone joy. They brought out five amazing animals for us during the animal encounter, and our guests could not have been more excited and engaged!
The Safari Park staff as a whole are the most kind and accommodating people you will meet. They made sure every detail was executed beautifully, from the folded linen napkins to the serving of cake slices. I truly believe the price per person is very reasonable, when you consider all of the items they take care of in their package, especially considering the admission price alone! Additionally, we got SO many compliments on the food and drinks! We are so happy that we upgraded our cocktail hour bar, because guests were so pleased with how fast the line moved, and really enjoyed the cocktails. By far, a fan favorite from our dinner buffet was the Creamy White Macaroni & Cheese with Gruyere and Sugar-Cured Bacon, we must have gotten at least 15 people saying it was the best they've ever had.
All in all, I will never get over how perfect our Safari Park wedding was. I am so pleased that we will be able to visit for the rest of our lives and share long lasting memories of this beautiful and wonderful place. They are so deserving of every donation received.
Photos featured by Love Story Photography 🙂
Marisa F
5.0
4/08/2024
I highly recommend the Safari Park for your wedding!! They made planning a wedding such an easy and stress free experience. I was provided with a list of recommended vendors which made planning so easy because I already a narrowed down list. We loved every single vendor we ended up hiring! Since catering was provided through the park, that also made it easy and delicious! We got so many rave reviews about the food after our wedding which was no surprise because the Safari Park has yummy food to start with.
Tommy Gomez was our vendor coordinator and he was TOP NOTCH!! He was super communicative the entire process, always making sure we did not have any questions and answering any we had. He made working with the park a dream and I could request him if you can. He made sure all the vendors had what they needed for the day of and things seemed to run super smoothly for them. He was there for rehearsal and our wedding day too! Working with Tommy gave me full confidence and that resulted is having no stress at all. It was supposed to rain the day of our wedding but Tommy doubled down with me and we set up the ceremony for outside rather than him pushing me to move it inside. Which I am so glad because it did not rain! He was the best cheerleader along the way.
The park has so many beautiful views for wedding photos as well which is a huge plus. If you are having a wedding of 60 or less, I highly recommend the Woolshed venue area.
Paul C
5.0
3/26/2024
I got married at the Safari Park on October 27, 2023, and it was one of the best days ever! My wife keeps telling me that she wants to relive the day over and over again!
I'm actually a wedding photographer, so I've had a lot of experience at weddings and at different venues. I have to say that the team at the Safari Park were so awesome and made our day so fun and easy!
My wife and I wanted to find a venue that was somewhat unique and different from the typical wedding venue. When we visited the Safari Park, we were pleasantly surprised to find that their pricing was pretty competitive and that we could get this unique venue for a similar cost to what we'd been quoted at other, less impressive venues. It was also hugely helpful how all-inclusive the venue is. The Safari Park provided the ceremony seating, seating and farm tables for reception, our linens, the catering, and the bar for our wedding day. Not having to source all those things from different vendors was a huge time-saver and stress reliever. The food was delicious, including our cocktail hour appetizers (try the chicken empanadas!), and the bartenders were awesome too!
Tommy, our venue coordinator, is the COOLEST! We vibed with him right away over email, and the good vibes kept flowing when we met him in person. He is so nice and friendly, and he was happy to take time to talk through all the details and answer any questions we had. He was present on the day of our wedding, and made sure that we had everything we needed. Even though we had an outside planner/coordinator, it was Tommy who made sure my wife and I got appetizers and drinks during cocktail hour.
The dining staff and bartenders were super friendly and accommodating -- one bartender even told me that, in her 4 years of working weddings there, we had the prettiest bridesmaid dresses she'd ever seen!
The only "hiccup" in the entire experience that we had was the menu tasting. It was just a bit... odd, haha. For one, we had to pay $100+ for tickets to the tasting event. That alone wouldn't be an issue, but we found out afterward that the food we tasted wasn't necessarily the food options that we'd actually be able to select for our wedding date -- that the tasting event was more for us to get "a sense of the portion size and general quality of the food." It seems strange to pay for a food-tasting event where we don't taste our actual menu options. Additionally, they said they'd provide champagne at the tasting event. That apparently meant about a sip and a half of champagne with no refills. It felt a little stingy considering the amount they charged us to be there.
Overall, this was a very minor snag in the whole experience. Tommy's guidance leading up to the wedding was incredibly helpful, and he was great with our wedding party and our families on the day of the rehearsal. On the day of the wedding, everything ran smoothly, and they even provided us golf cart transport from the entrance to our wedding site. I never saw a long line at the bar, which means they bartenders were killing it! All our guests commented on how beautiful and amazing the venue was and what a great time they were having. And a huge highlight of the day was adding the Animal Experience to our cocktail hour, where they brought out four animals to be up close with us and our guests -- definitely a memorable experience for everyone there.
Thanks, SDZSP, for hosting our dream day and making it great!
Mindy F
5.0
3/22/2024
We held our reception at the Sambutan Longhouse, which is nestled at the end of the bamboo forest known as the Tiger Trail. When opting for a package with the Safari Park, you're met with exceptional inclusivity. The venue itself is decorated as you see on a typical day at the park, requiring minimal additions aside from table centerpieces. This is ideal for those seeking a hassle-free experience without compromising on style.
Our guests had the opportunity to explore the Safari Park prior to our reception, which comes included in any reception package. Once the reception began, we had the venue till late allowing our guests the unique experience of seeing the Safari Park at night and being treated to the majestic sight of the tiger lounging throughout the evening.
The Safari Park's venue coordinator exceeded our expectations, ensuring seamless coordination with our day-of coordinators and accommodating our requests. One special request of mine was to have the horticultural team showcase plants native to our parents' home countries, they even passed around a carnivorous plant for everyone to see up close.
The reception package includes many food services to select from. We decided on appetizers during cocktail hour, followed by a buffet-style arrangement for the main course. The efforts of the culinary staff at the Safari Park received the highest praise from our family and friends as they unanimously voted it the best wedding food they have ever had. It was heartwarming to witness the kids, and even a few adults sneak in for seconds, possibly even thirds, a true testament to the quality of food the Safari Park has to offer.
The Sambutan Longhouse at the Safari Park provided an unforgettable backdrop for our celebration, and we are so glad to have had a wonderful communicative venue coordinator from the park as well as an upbeat staff during our wedding reception.
Kirsten T
5.0
2/21/2024
We recently got married at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the Kijamii Overlook venue at it was incredibly. Our coordinator, Tommy, and the entire team went above and beyond to make our day so special. We loved the wedding package options and the tastings that they offered helped us to be confident in what the food would look and taste like.
The communication prior to our wedding was excellent and Tommy was there for us every step of the way to answer questions and help us make decisions. We were able to have our rehearsal and the SD Safari Park team were amazing in wrangling our wedding party and helping us get our wedding decor to the location.
We did our first look at the park and Tommy helped to make sure we were able to get around the park with ease and our photographer had everything she needed. Shuttles helped get our guests to the venue and they were able to come early and enjoy the park prior to the wedding.
The location was spectacular and the Safari Park team runs like a well-oiled machine. There was a huge group of people helping to make sure our day got off without a hitch.
Once our ceremony was finished, we had the animal ambassadors at our cocktail hour and it was a highlight for us and our guests. The staff who shared the animals with us were informative and fun! The food exceeded our expectations and we were told by so many of our guests that it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding.
The SD Safari Park service team were amazing and all of our guests were looked after and cared for the whole night. I cannot recommend this venue enough!! We were exceedingly happy with everything, our photos were spectacular because of the amazing surroundings, and we had a blast!
Tommy was such an amazing help and so professional the entire time. He was a spectacular coordinator, no question or concern was too silly, and he looked after us with such care throughout the whole process. Communication exceeded my expectations and he made the whole process a dream! Highly, highly recommend him as a coordinator.
We had the wedding of our dreams and are so thankful to all who helped make it possible!
Albert Y
5.0
11/15/2023
The San Diego Zoo & Safari Park is an amazing venue. The smiles from just talking about a wedding at the zoo is a small preview of the amount of joy that guests will have on your special day. It was smiles all around and such a great experience. Thanks to Delanie and the rest of the SD Zoo team for making our special day (and the planning months leading up to it) stress free and so beautiful!
Nikki H
5.0
10/31/2023
Alyssa our coordinator was amazing through the whole process and provided helpful information from vendors that work with the park, time lines, perks and benefits to guests and bride and groom in a very timely manner. Communication via email or phone was on point. Our guests took full advantage of the full day access to the park and bride and groom receive annual memberships with the wedding package. I even had a dress code theme of butterfly wings for my guests for a halloween wedding reception and she surprised me by participating! My husband and I were able to not stress and enjoy the event because of how on top of things the staff was! The food and drinks were flowing! The food tasting event helped us choose our menu. We had Korean short ribs, chicken breast and pineapple thai style fried rice for entrees, s'mores station for dessert, late night snack of mini cheese burgers and fries and our friends loved it all! If you can plan your event on a full moon I would suggest that too and furniture rentals for the turf area! You can be as budget or as bougie as you want and this venue/ staff will still deliver a wow experience!! 10/10 recommend!
Elizabeth S
5.0
10/23/2023
Never did we think we would get married at the Safari Park, but when we went to visit the venue (Kijamii Overlook) it was so beautiful! The venue itself was the rustic/bohemian look we wanted for a September wedding and we knew we could decorate it to exactly how we wanted. We got paired with Nikki as our event coordinator and honestly if you could pick her to be yours DO IT!! Nikki is so amazing and helped us with anything we needed even if it was last minute changes. She made us feel so comfortable when reaching out to her and seeing her in person for meetings. You can tell she loves her job and working with couples. I couldn't imagine working with anyone else during our special time. This venue is so unique it definitely has the wow factor.
Shane B
5.0
10/19/2023
I cannot say enough great things about this venue. It was a dream come true using the Safari Park as a venue and the staff made it the most seamless event I've hosted and attended. There were contingency plans for everything. Tommy, our coordinator, was incredible with communication, organization, and with helping coordinate the event from start to finish. Tommy was always available for any of my many questions. He was truly the reason we managed to make this incredible and rainy day go off without a hitch! I planned this wedding out of state and had no issues due to the amazing team at the Park.
Kristina W
5.0
10/14/2023
We worked with Delanie as our zoo coordinator and couldn’t have been happier with our experience! She was always there to answer any questions we had and made sure we had a great wedding day. The venue itself is beautiful no matter what location you choose and the food was top notch!
Leanna B
5.0
8/07/2023
The San Diego Zoo & Safari Park, staff and our site coordinator Delanie were amazing in helping to make our wedding weekend absolutely perfect! Delanie did a great job guiding us through the whole process and was very pleasant to work with through the last couple of years of planning. The safari park (Kijamii Overlook) was breathtaking and our guests continue to tell us that it was the most unique wedding they've ever been too and that the wildlife encounter was one of the highlights of the night.
Sabrina S
5.0
8/03/2023
We had our wedding in July at the Mombosa lagoon/pavilion at the Safari Park and it was a dream day! From the beginning, our coordinator Tommy was the best help we could have ever wished for. The wedding is completely customizable and you can add in or not have what you want. We recommend doing the tasting, which is where we decided on our menu and met our coordinator. Tommy kept in touch with us regularly in the year leading up to our wedding and always answered my many-questioned emails within 24 hours. He was always so helpful and provided any insight that he had, along with experienced recommendations.
The venue itself was completely picturesque. The wedding was in the evening and the lagoon was a great background for all of our wedding photos and the reception. Tommy worked with all of our vendors to ensure that they knew when/where they needed to arrive and being the bride, I was able to walk up to my wedding with absolutely everything done. Tommy also allowed us to bring and store some decorations at the rehearsal and was so accommodating with our very large family at the rehearsal.
On the day of, Tommy helped ensure that everything was ready to go and gave us updates. He was even available for my parent's questions and provided them with help. Once the ceremony was over, Tommy brought up drinks so we could relax before the photos began. He also helped my mom bustle my dress, made sure we had appetizers at our table when we arrived at the reception, and kept our timeline. I cannot recommend him as a coordinator enough. At the end of the night, my family was prepared to clean up the reception and when we went to grab the boxes, Tommy had already ensured that everything was packed up and loaded on the golf cart for us. He always went the extra mile for us at every step and it truly was the most stress-free day and that was 100% because of Tommy. I highly recommend the amazing venue, (the profits go towards the animals so how much better does it get?), the process and options. We got comments on how it was the best wedding that people had been to.
Robyn L
5.0
7/04/2023
As a San Diego native I've always loved going to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and I'm so happy we chose this venue for our wedding celebration as the whole day was so memorable and amazing! We chose Harusi Lawn and Sambutan Longhouse at Tiger Trail, we were a bit worried it would be cramped with 100 guests but there was plenty of room in the Longhouse. The ceremony area near the cheetah enclosure was very beautiful and needed minimal decoration (although we still had a florist and other decorations for the gift/guest book table). One of the highlights of the day was the Animal Encounter, I definitely recommend adding this if possible. The zoo staff presented 4 animals, which included a cheetah and kangaroo! All our guests were amazed and really enjoyed the animal presentation. The food was also amazing, we had the 24-hour braised beef which was so delicious, I could not stop eating. All the guests we talked to also said the salmon with ponzu sauce was very good, and they even said their kids who are picky eaters loved the kids' meals. We actually didn't get to try the hors d'oeuvres, but our guests said they were all very good.
Our event coordinator Tommy Gomez was so nice and fun to work with, and the Safari Park staff was extremely kind and understanding when there were delays with our wedding due to a serious illness I was going through. Tommy always answered our various questions promptly, and made sure everything went smoothly on the big day. There were a couple minor hiccups in terms of transportation (golf carts and shuttles) in between the ceremony and reception venues, but Tommy got them sorted out right away. To be fair, it seemed a bit logistically difficult to move 100 guests in between 2 venues which were somewhat far apart. He also had a great sense of humor and even busted out a few dance moves on the dance floor! All the rest of the staff were also very friendly and attentive. We got so many compliments from guests that this was the most unique and best wedding they've ever been to. Their prices are very reasonable considering their package includes hors d'oeuvre, tables, linens, beer and wine for cocktail hour, etc. It's also awesome that the money you spend goes towards their conservation program. The day was everything I hoped it would be, it was such a wonderful venue!
Skyelar H
5.0
6/17/2023
My husband, Steve, and I got married in the beginning of April in the Walkabout Woolshed and all we could say was WOW! We truly had such a wonderful experience. Tommy was our incredible coordinator and, while I’m sure everyone else is awesome, no one else is like Tommy! He made the entire process so seamless and easy. Not only was this one of the cheapest options in San Diego, but the fact the proceeds go right back into the animals made signing the contract a no-brainer. Also, how fun to get to say you got married at the Safari Park! We added the animal encounter which was so special and we STILL have guests telling us how much fun it added to the night! If you’re contemplating going with the Safari Park, look no further because this is your venue! You really won’t regret it! So many thanks again to Tommy as we wouldn’t have had the experience we had without you!
Natasha K
5.0
6/10/2023
My husband and I got married here two weeks ago, and it truly was one of the most special and magical days of our lives so far. We got married at the Kijamii Overlook venue, which is an absolutely STUNNING venue that overlooks the animals roaming the savannah. When you arrive to the venue, you truly do not feel like you’re in San Diego anymore but rather on a safari vacation! There's a fun fire pit and beautiful bar built into a tree (how cool is that!). We chose the plated meal option and the food was all so delicious and cooked to perfection (we had the pan seared chicken, baseball top sirloin and shiitake mushroom risotto). We upgraded our bar and appetizers too, which I highly recommend because the Cheetah-rita signature cocktail and upgraded appetizers (we upgraded to the ahi tuna and vegan falafels, on top of the 3 standard hor d’oeuvres that you get with the package) were a hit amongst our guests! So many of my wedding guests have said that this has been the most beautiful and unique wedding location they have been to! One of the most magical things happened when we were saying our vows- a few giraffes lined up right behind me as if they were wanting to listen too! And as a bride, this location and venue was the most perfect thing I could have ever imagined! And I cannot praise the staff more. Our coordinator was Delanie Brown and she was the absolute BEST person to work with! Delanie started communicating with me months before the wedding and always made herself available to answer my many questions. She was so patient, kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. Delanie made sure we were always well informed about any upcoming deadlines and always made sure we were on track with our planning. She was there the day of the wedding as well to make sure everything went as planned. People always say how planning a wedding is stressful, but I can honestly say that Delanie was such a joy to work with that the planning process was truly seamless and easy for us because of her. Many, many thanks and appreciation to her and the rest of the staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Thank you for helping us create and celebrate the most special day of our lives, and for giving us some of the most beautiful memories that we will cherish forever!
Ellen N
5.0
6/05/2023
Our reception at the Treetops at San Diego Zoo was great! Tommy our coordinator was so calm and flexible and had great communication. The venue was perfect for a 80 person reception. We opted for the animal encounter and our guest had so much fun seeing the animals up close.
Food was delicious! My guests are still telling me how much they enjoyed the short ribs and Mahi Mahi. We choose to have a dessert bar from VG doughnuts and bakery and no one missed having cake. We danced the night away with DJ Drew Miller.
Your guests also get a Zoo pass for that day to explore. You will also get a year pass to the zoo too. If you want a unique wedding I highly recommend San Diego Zoo. We are so happy we had it there!
Hannah C
5.0
4/07/2023
The Safari Park was the perfect venue for our wedding and we couldn't be happier with our choice. Alyssa, our coordinator, was on top of things at all times throughout the process, which was as smooth and we were hoping it would be. Every aspect of the wedding was on point - the ceremony and reception venue were set up beautifully and exactly as discussed, the food was delicious, and everything ran smoothly and efficiently!
If you do choose to have your wedding at the Safari Park (which you should), definitely do the animal encounter! They bring animal "ambassadors" to your cocktail hour and their handlers do a whole presentation. It was so fun and our guests couldn't stop talking about it.
Kara C
5.0
3/07/2023
I cannot say enough about how amazing the San Diego Safari Park was. The venue, the food, the staff, the service was 100% phenomenal. Our coordinator Nikki was so kind and helpful; I truly wish she was my friend in real life because her energy is just so positive and lovely. The staff were all helpful and friendly. The food - oh goodness gracious was it delicious! We had so many compliments about the food. Definitely pick the braised short ribs, and their house vegetables were gorgeously presented and perfectly cooked. We also had the wildlife experience, which was insanely cool! We received so many compliments and no joke people commented that it was the best wedding they went to. When you math out the cost compared to other venues, and the added value of the venue being a nonprofit dedicated to conservation, there is no better choice. If you are even remotely thinking about this venue, please give Nikki a call, because you wont regret it!!!
Sara M
5.0
2/13/2023
I had such an amazing, unforgettable wedding experience at the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park venue! I held both my ceremony and reception at the Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park. Working with Nikki made the whole experience low stress and organized. I had such an amazing time, I truly had everything I could have imagined and more. The venue was gorgeous and the food was outstanding, I really don't think I can top this experience. I've been hearing from relatives ever since the wedding that this was one of the best weddings they've ever attended! Thanks again to the event coordinators for giving me the most memorable day of my life.
Ashleigh A
5.0
12/30/2022
Firstly, I love that our money went to a great cause. The ceremony and reception venue were beautiful. We did the Lagoon overlook at the Safari Park. Our venue coordinator, Alyssa Good, was everything we could’ve asked for and more. Great communication and professionalism. Answered any questions we had thoroughly. Highly recommend using them as a Venue.
Nora B
5.0
12/22/2022
Best Wedding I have ever attended. Scenery was astonishing, service was exceptional. Everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.
Christina B
5.0
12/16/2022
Our wedding was wonderful! The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park made our wedding day so special. We had a great time and all of our guests were raving about the giraffes and rhinos! Our guests were able to stand by the fire and watch the animals late into the night.
We also had many people complimenting the food. Everyone loved the Mini Treat Table, the S’mores Station and the late night snacks. It was all delicious!
Nikki and the rest of the staff at the Safari Park were so friendly, professional and kind. Nikki was always available to help us and all of our family members throughout the wedding rehearsal, ceremony and the reception.
I highly recommend the Kijamii Overlook site for a wedding along with the Wildlife Animal Encounter experience!
Stacey J
5.0
11/28/2022
Our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was absolutely incredible! We had a small guest count - only about 60 guests, and so chose the Harusi Lawn/Longhouse at Tiger Trail venue combination. These locations were perfect, absolutely stunning, and so very us. We added the animal encounter to our cocktail hour and did not regret it! Our guests were raving about it and the animals we got to learn about were incredible! We highly recommend adding this encounter if it is in your budget, because really, where else will you get to have this amazing private animal encounter as entertainment for your wedding? It was a beautiful educational experience and so special for everyone.
We had the amazing opportunity to work with Alyssa as our point of contact for the venue and could not have been happier. She was extremely detailed in her answers and always prompt in her responses. We appreciated her working with us to have our dream of a boba vendor at our wedding as well - also another aspect our guests seemed to love! We had a bit of a kerfuffle at the very start of our inquiry into having our wedding at the Safari Park, as the original coordinator we had been in contact with suddenly stopped working there right as we were trying to finalize our wedding date. Luckily we were swiftly taken care of - we were contacted by the Safari Park with a call and then promptly by email and got everything straightened out. Alyssa was placed as our venue coordinator and immediately got the ball rolling again. We are very grateful for her!
We also want to shout out the venue staff - from the waitstaff, to the bartenders, to the shuttle drivers. Everyone was so lovely and nice - our guests had a great time interacting with them. During dinner service, the staff were all so kind of quick - we really are so grateful for every one of them!
Overall, we highly recommend having your wedding at the Safari Park! It is such a unique and amazing experience - plus profits will go back towards animal conservation. So not only are guests having a good time, but every guest invited is also helping the park and the animals. The gorgeous venue locations and the fact that we could include an animal encounter during our cocktail hour was so extremely special. Because the whole park is already so gorgeous, minimal decor was needed - really, if you wanted to save money and you were at the Harusi Lawn venue for your ceremony, you could probably pass on florals with how gorgeous it is! We opted to enhance with some gorgeous florals, but I can definitely see it working without any as well. We also were very lucky in that the tigers remained out of their covered homes the entire night! So our guests got to see them up close all night long (the tigers chose to chill right next to the windows by the dinner tables). We love what the SDZ Wildlife Alliance stands for and does, and what a fun way to be a part of that!
Sasha S
5.0
11/22/2022
Book this venue! Everything was wonderful! The planning process was so simple with them especially since I didn't have a wedding planner. First off, it was beautiful. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Everyone is still talking about how gorgeous the Woolshed was. The food was amazing! Get the empanadas, you wont regret it! And the staff was phenomenal. They were on top of everything. Alyssa was our venue coordinator and she was hands down the savior of the day. But her team was just amazing. Our wedding day was perfect thanks to the crew we had. And the price was so affordable considering what all was included. I wish we could get married there again and again. This is the greatest venur in the world!
Stephanie K
5.0
11/19/2022
We had the most magical wedding at the Safari Park at their Kijamii Overlook space. That space is so special - overlooking the landscape with the adorable giraffes and rhinos! We were paired with Delanie, and she was so kind, professional, and just incredible. She was helpful and responsive to all of our (many, many) questions. She was also super creative in how she suggested we lay out our event - which turned out to be perfect. The space was fantastic and comfortable (despite being a bit cold and having some scattered showers!), and the food and drinks (including our specialty cheetah-rita drink) were delicious! We did an animal showing during our cocktail hour and it was a hit! The presenters were super fun and engaging and the animals were PERFECT! It was an amazing experience and super unique - not often you get to have a wedding with a porcupine! Our guests loved the entire experience, as well. I highly, highly recommend the Safari Park and Delanie.
Josh G
5.0
10/31/2022
Couldn’t ask for a better wedding. Nikki was the absolute best, she even got our guest popsicles at the last second since the ceremony was a little hot. If you’re looking for a fun, memorable place to get married than this is the spot. We didn’t even look at other venues.
Brittany P
5.0
10/05/2022
The San Diego Safari Park offers absolutely breathtaking venue options that we would highly recommend. Having the animals as an interactive part of our wedding provided us with memories that will last a lifetime. The staff were nothing short of amazing, as they went above and beyond helping to ensure that my wife and I had the very best experience with our photographers and the animals. The staff not only took exceptional care of my wife and I, but they were also very responsive to our guests and their needs with transportation, etc.
The reception venue of Sambutan Longhouse at the Tiger Trail was absolutely stunning and provided an intimate experience for both ourselves and our loved ones. When interacting with the staff throughout the evening, it felt as if they were a part of our family.
Our coordinator, Delanie and her team not only provided exceptional service during the days of our rehearsal and wedding, but also when it came to assisting with all of the preparation for our special day. When bringing to Delanie's attention that our guest count was going to be significantly lower than initially planned, she worked with her team on coming up with additional options to assist in meeting the financial aspect of our wedding, while also providing the ability to give our guests a souvenir piece to take with them as a memory. Delanie was always in the background attending to the small details on our special day, ensuring that my wife and I were given hors d'oeuvre and even providing us with refills on our drinks. Delanie and her staff spent extra time interacting with our guests and overall making our night as magical as we could have ever hoped for.
We highly recommend the San Diego Safari Park to anyone who is looking to host an event special to them, as the setting is not only stunning but the staff are absolutely amazing!
ALLISON H
5.0
8/29/2022
If I could give the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park additional stars I would. What a beautiful and fun place to have our wedding! From the very start, all the information was easy to review in the packet was sent to us. We went with the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park for a more unique experience and the ease of having food, drink, staff, and furniture already at the park. We had the ceremony and cocktail hour at the Harusi Lawn, which looked stunning. The animals were out and during the cocktail hours we had the animal encounter where they brought out several animals which our guests LOVED (and so did we - my husband laughed when I told him my favorite part of the wedding was not marrying him, but rather feeding a sloth a piece of watermelon). The hors d'oeuvres were amazing (egg rolls, bruschetta, mini empanadas) and the bartenders and staff were friendly, accommodating, and engaging. We then moved to the Longhouse at Tiger Trail, which was set up perfectly - I could not have imagined it better. The tiger was hanging out all night and posing for pictures with our guests and the food was delicious (we had the pineapple fried rice, stuffed chicken breasts, and tri-tip). Again, the staff was friendly and incredibly helpful. The star of the staff had to be our park coordinator, Delanie Brown. She made sure everything went off without a hitch (if there was an issue, she handled it so well we had no idea) and was very accommodating to all our wild requests. Without her we would have been lost. Thank you to the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park for making our special day unique and unforgettable.
Caitlin D
5.0
8/15/2022
Having our wedding at the San Diego Safari Park was absolutely AMAZING! It was the coolest experience for us and so many of our guests can't stop talking about what a wonderful and unique experience they had. We can't rave enough about Delanie, our event coordinator, who did such an amazing job making sure our wedding was spectacular. She seriously went above and beyond for us and we are so thankful to her! The event staff was so wonderful and kind, and Delanie made us feel like VIPs throughout our whole experience. If you are thinking about getting married here, DO IT!
Kaitlyn K
5.0
6/19/2022
This was a great location to have a wedding! Our venue coordinator was fantastic, the food was super tasty, and the surroundings were absolutely beautiful. Reasonably priced for San Diego, too. Our guests had a great time. Would highly recommend!
Andrew V
5.0
6/16/2022
Utilizing this wedding venue, we achieved the wedding of our dreams with photos and a guest experience we would not have been able to replicate at any other place. Having both of us being born and raised throughout Southern California, this was a home away from home for both of us, and met every expectation we had.
Nikki, our wedding correspondent for the venue worked with our every need and was able to quickly navigate our issues. She expertly handled our constantly changing guest situation, as several wedding party members canceled on us within a week of the wedding. She was able to put off the final food bid until after we attending a local tasting in the area although it was well over two weeks into when the document was due. She knew we were out-of-state completing tasks that we couldn't get a break from, and was the crucial piece of the puzzle for our wedding. Without her, the wedding would've collapsed on the spot. Because we do not currently live in the state, she was able to work out a deal with regards to the season passes, and we were granted two tickets for a safari ride the day prior to the wedding. My wife and I had a concern with regards to the food selection because two of our guests were vegan, and she helped us through the menu to make sure each and every person was able to eat to their heart's desire at the wedding. She stayed for the entire wedding and was able to assist us with a couple individuals that were irresponsible at the wedding with regards to their drinking. We were able to coordinate rides for them and able to keep their vehicles on site after listing them with the parent company that handled security. When it came to the event, Nikki knew our every want, and made sure to personally save certain appetizers that we specifically ordered and paid more for because of the taste and quality of the dish. She had four ready for us right after we walked off from the wedding during the cocktail hour and collected all of the extras from cocktail hour and had them at our table as we arrived to the reception area.
During cocktail hour, after our little meet and greet with guests that flew in from all over the country, we had a personal escort with a golf cart to several spots within the park so that our photographer could take pictures of us with several different species in the background. We were even able to coordinate some of that help prior to the service, which is typically not done because of scheduling, but because of this, we were able to complete all of the bridal party photos prior to the wedding.
We used vendors from their list in the local area for the flowers, cake and DJ. The photographer was someone we outsourced that I am hoping will be added to their list, as I believe her portfolio and price is beneficial for most of the guests paying for weddings at this venue. We are so pleased with this space, that we are going to renew our 5 or 10 year vows at the same location. This was our dream come true!
Timothy B
5.0
6/11/2022
Having our wedding here was the best idea we had out of our entire planning process. Our venue was gorgeous, everyone had so much fun, and the photos were so cool!
STACY L
5.0
5/03/2022
As a wedding planner, you prepare as much as you can for all disasters. Any disaster planning was all wasted effort with Keely and her awesome team. The event went so well and so many gorgeous memories were captured. If you are doing your ceremony here, SPLURGE FOR THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTER! It is completely worth it and made for so many fun moments and photos. Overall, this wedding was a dream to plan, and Safari Park was an awesome partner. There are no bad days at the Safari Park!
Selina R
5.0
4/26/2022
We truly had a memorable experience and we know our guests did too. There is something to be said about hearing, multiple times over, "this is the BEST wedding I've ever been to!" We heard over and over again how accommodating the staff and volunteers were to our guests. It was such a well run event and I am so grateful that, at least on my end, I felt NO stress because of my confidence in the team. We would do it all over again and again!
Erin H
5.0
4/26/2022
We were just married at the Safari Park last week and we couldn’t wait to write this glowing review! A year ago when we shopped around at a few venues, the park immediately stuck out as such a unique and fun place to get married.
Our coordinator Keely truly went above and beyond throughout the whole process. She was always quick to respond and extremely helpful. She was so on top of things that she would often reach out to me if it had been a while, and usually she had tips or information that hadn’t even occurred to me yet. On the day of the wedding, she and the rest of the staff really made the magic happen. They really have these events down to a well-oiled machine, and everything went seamlessly. The guests had no trouble navigating around the park, any hiccups were dealt with so quickly and professionally, and all the service staff were wonderful. The food was delicious – the park has a separate catering department from the generic “zoo food” – and more than one person said the beef short rib was some of the best they’d ever had. We and our guests had an amazing time and felt really well-taken care of. We were lucky enough to have a lot of safari animals roaming behind our ceremony, and one of the tigers stayed out for at least half of our reception.
“Cons” (in quotes because they’re not bad things, just things to be aware of): The logistics of having the wedding at the park was challenging. For most of the venue set-ups offered, your ceremony and reception sites can be pretty far away from each other, and on top of that, the private room where the bridal party will change is in yet another location. It’s kind of an ordeal to golf-cart around the park, so don’t underestimate how long it will take to get from A to B and get groups of people assembled. We went without a wedding planner and the only reason we were able to pull it off is because we had *very* minimal décor/vendors/etc. If you plan on having a lot of bells and whistles, you will absolutely need a wedding planner.
The only real bummer we had in our experience is that the park is phasing out some of the animals from the “animal encounter”. One of the reasons we picked the safari park was to have pictures with the cheetah or caracal, but some of those animals aren’t being featured anymore. We ended up skipping the animal encounter all together and used the cocktail hour to take family photos.
Overall it was such a wonderful, magical experience and our guests are still raving about what an awesome wedding it was. We're so happy we chose the Safari Park for our day and we couldn't be more grateful to Keely for making it amazing!
Priscilla L
5.0
4/22/2022
We had one of the best venue experiences with Magdalena Johnson as we were shopping around for potential places to host our wedding. She was by far the most responsive representative out of all the wedding reps we were in contact with, very thorough and patient with all her responses and extremely flexible when we were trying to book a tour since we were coming in from out of town. The different wedding venues in the park are absolutely gorgeous and unique, especially the Kijamii Overlook. Not many people can claim to have rhinos and giraffe's roaming in the background of their wedding ceremony! Unfortunately we did not end up booking this venue as we ultimately decided to host our wedding in our hometown. However, I was thoroughly impressed with the service provided by Magda at this venue. You can tell she is truly passionate and excited about her job here and was such a pleasure to work with! If we ever decide to host a destination event in San Diego I will be sure to reach back out!
Alex W
5.0
3/29/2022
I'm updating my review because despite an initially poor experience in which my coordinator at the zoo didn't respond for weeks at a time, I was able to speak to Keely, who was very apologetic about the situation and ultimately took over coordinating my wedding herself.
She is extremely responsive and completely on top of things. Every question was answered promptly, and she made sure that I was aware of any deadlines coming up. It was a pleasure to work with her.
The wedding itself was excellent. Alyssa was there on the day of, and everything ran without a hitch under her supervision. The venue is absolutely spectacular. We were at Kijami Overlook, and it's just surreal to get married there with giraffes and rhinos in the background. We also opted to add the animal experience, and they brought out some weird and adorable creatures - I definitely recommend it.
We received a lot of compliments from our guests about the venue - it's definitely the most unique wedding venue most of them had ever been to. It's also just nice to know that your money's going to a good cause instead of a big hotel chain.
If you're looking for a place to get married in San Diego, I would strongly recommend that you take a tour of the Safari Park.
Erin D
5.0
11/04/2021
There honestly is not a more perfect and unique place to have your wedding!! My husband and I had our prom at the San Diego Zoo several years ago and when it came to finding a wedding venue, we randomly searched the Zoo and saw they had several wedding/event spaces at both the Zoo and Safari Park. Finding the specific venue of Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park was the answer to our prayers. We knew the second we toured the venue that we had to have our celebration here. I mean we could hear the nearby lion literally roar while we were standing in our venue! It was unreal! The entire team at the park was so gracious and amazing to work with. They couldn’t make it easier for you to help plan your wedding. The venue speaks for itself overlooking the Safari and having the animals behind you and be a part of your day. We have wedding photos with giraffes and rhinos behind us, that is so cool. On our wedding day, the guests could not stop raving about the venue and how it truly was a once in a lifetime experience for them. Never will we get to go to another wedding like this and we’re so lucky it got to be ours! To see the smiles, the pure joy of everyone enjoying the space was all we could have asked for and more. The layout is perfect. There was so much room that guests could really move around and not feel like they had to be sitting or dancing. They could be looking at the view/animals, they could be by the fireplace, etc. And the food…. WOW we could not have gotten more compliments about the appetizers and the entrée. The coconut shrimp was a huge hit and the short rib was heavenly!! We had guests say it was the best wedding food they’d had so huge kudos to that team. Through the whole process of scheduling and re-scheduling as a COVID bride and groom, we could not have been more pleased!! The entre team is amazing and we would not change a single thing about the wedding day. Keely was the most amazing coordinator and helped facilitate any need, field all questions, and on the day of, checked in with us to ensure we were happy with the event and had everything we could possibly need. She really helped to make it the most special, memorable day for my husband and I and we’re forever grateful to her and the Safari Park!!
Tara N
5.0
11/03/2021
It may sound cheesy but my wedding day was the best day of my life! I wish I could relive it over and over. Not only was the San Diego Zoo Safari Park a beautiful location for our wedding but it was such a pleasure working with their staff. Being a COVID bride was stressful as it was but the park made everything stress free for us. Both my venue coordinators for the park were amazing people and so very helpful. Sydney and Alyssa go above and beyond to make sure everything is run smoothly and all our vendors were on the same page. All of our guests had an amazing time. They absolutely loved the animal encounter during cocktail hour as it's not something people normally see at a wedding. The food was also outstanding and I wish they had it for normal dinning at the park because I would get it again and again if I could. If you are looking for an amazing wedding that supports a great cause look no further.
Angela S
5.0
5/22/2020
We had our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the Kijamii Overlook. Having our wedding here was such an amazing experience. Our guests had a wonderful time from the animal presentation at cocktail hour to the views of the giraffes, rhinos, and more in the Kijamii Overlook. The food was excellent and the service was amazing. If you are looking to have a more creative and fun wedding, I would absolutely recommend the Safari Park. Our Event Coordinator Nikki was absolutely fabulous and went above and beyond to accommodate all of our requests and to make our day perfect. Thank you to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!
Katrina C
5.0
5/13/2020
A unique experience! The venue coordinators were very responsive and helpful from beginning to end. My husband and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so having the wedding here was a bit of a "destination" wedding. It was nice having the bar, catering, tables, chairs and linens included with the venue package. The animal encounter is a must! It was awesome! The venue coordinator provided us with a preferred vendors list which made choosing vendors much simpler and made the planning process smooth. We had a wedding coordinator as well, which was also a must for this venue. Our guests told us it was the best wedding they've been to--including their own.
Adam F
5.0
10/11/2019
Getting married here was an incredible experience. First off, the park is just a really awesome setting for a wedding. It's just really great looking... PLUS there are wild animals around.
Sydney, the park's event coordinator for our wedding, was incredible to work with. She was always looking to help us get the wedding day that we wanted - and she did a really great job.
The animal presentation is just about the coolest thing that can happen at a wedding, so if you get married here... I highly recommend you have an animal presentation.
The reception area was great as well - they transformed a zoo menu into a really fantastic reception area. The food the park has as options for dinner is also incredibly delicious.
All in all, I have only good things to say about the entire experience. It was really fantastic and I highly recommend the Safari Park as a wedding venue.
Laura Z
5.0
9/24/2019
The San Diego Safari Park was a wonderful wedding venue. So special to have a view of the animals from the site. The venue coordinator was professional and thorough and provided us with a memorable, stress-free day. The venue was so amazing and beautiful that we didn’t need to worry about many details and decorations. A smooth planning process.
Rebecca D
5.0
9/01/2019
My husband and I are so glad we chose to have our wedding at the Safari Park! Sydney was a dream to work with. She was so organized and easy to communicate with. In the months before the wedding, she kept us well-informed of upcoming deadlines and answered all of our questions in a timely fashion. She managed all of our vendors for us, which saved us a lot of time and stress.
On the day of our event, Sydney ensured that everything went smoothly. If there were any problems that day, we didn't hear about them. Every single Safari Park staff member who worked our event was friendly and attentive.
The highlight of the day was the Animal Encounter, which blew everyone away. We heard from multiple guests that ours was the best wedding they have ever attended, and I think the beautiful Park and the wonderful staff were both responsible for that.
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San Diego Zoo & San Diego Zoo Safari Park
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